Brief History/Mission/Accomplishments and Existing Services
The Ibn Sina Foundation was established in 2001 by a group of local physicians, business, and healthcare professionals to bridge the growing gap between the health care needs of a rapidly expanding population of underserved families, and the ability of existing public institutions to meet their needs. The Foundation’s mission is to ensure the health of the community by providing integrated preventive and primary care in a clinic setting through the dissemination and application of health related knowledge, thereby enhancing the quality of life for future generations.
The first Ibn Sina Community Medical Center was established in Southwest Houston in 2001; the second Ibn Sina Community Medical Center was established in 2004 in Southeast Houston/Clear Lake. Since 2001, Ibn Sina has provided nearly 113,000 outpatient visits (medical and dental) for low-income, uninsured Houstonians. In 2008 alone, Ibn Sina provided for over 32,000 outpatient care (includes children).
March 1, 2007 marked the opening of a new expanded Ibn Sina Foundation Community Medical Center in Southwest Houston. This unique medical center provides rare specialty medical services to Houston’s uninsured and indigent. Funds for the new Center and the necessary equipment were supported by Houston’s philanthropic community, the City of Houston, Cullen Trust for Health Care, and the Ibn Sina Foundation Board of Directors– a $1.8 million project.
The rationale for the new Center was to allow additional space for the ever-increasing number of uninsured and poverty-stricken patients seen by the clinic each year. Specialty care services are now offered to Houston’s uninsured such as women’s health, urinary care, pediatric care, diabetic management program, nutrition, cardiovascular screenings/services or eye care. In addition to housing specialty medical clinics, a special space is designed for physicians to educate patients about their disease, their required medications and/or nutrition.
1. Ibn Sina Foundation Community Medical Center, Southwest Houston.
Achievements
• Provided medical and/or dental care for over 79,000 uninsured Houstonians since 2001.
• Provided medical and/or dental care for nearly 23,000 in 2008 (103% increase over 2007).
• Completed a $1.8 million capital campaign for a new community medical center in 2007.
• Named MUP by the State of Texas (Governor) in 2007.
• Provided over $100,000 in free healthcare to Hurricane affected families 2005-2008.
• Providing reduced cost and/or free healthcare to recently relocated Sudanese refugees.
• Work with KIPP Academy to provide all of their students (low-income etc.) with free vision care/annual examinations.
• One of the only healthcare centers in Houston dedicated to uninsured families to offer comprehensive medical care that includes specialty medicine (cardiology, gynecology, ophthalmology, neurology, GIT, cancer prevention, mental health and family counseling etc.), dentistry and imagining services.
• Recently received grants that make it possible to open the SW Houston community medical center from 5-9 p.m. five days per week as well as hire an additional physician for overlap and evening hours.
• Free services for Hurricane IKE effected families.
Existing Services
Even though Houston has several county and city managed clinics that offer primary care medical services to the poor, many of these clinics require patients to participate in Medicaid or some other type of government medical assistance for which not all families qualify, and often requires a $30 or more co-pay at the time of service.
When a patient arrives at an Ibn Sina Clinic, they are asked to pay a low fee of $25 for each visit. Ibn Sina patients are not required to participate in federal assistance. If a patient is unable to afford $25 for an office visit, a sliding scale is available to determine the patient’s ability to pay. If a patient is absolutely unable to pay any part of the $25 fee, a special fund has been established to subsidize the fee. No patients are turned away for inability to pay. Contributions from local businesses and individuals make the fund possible.
Pharmaceuticals are provided through local physician offices (samples) and are gathered and inventoried regularly by volunteers. Additionally, several pharmaceutical companies provide patients the opportunity to obtain prescriptions free of charge if eligible. Also, Ibn Sina staff helps patients seek all other available opportunities for medication such as pharmaceutical company medical assistance programs.
Ibn Sina SW Houston Clinic - Patient Demographics
• The ethnic mix of Ibn Sina’s patients is approximately 36% (Pakistani, Chinese, Indian Vietnamese, and Bangladeshi) 37% Hispanic, 20% African-American, and 7% White.
• From 2007 to 2008 there was a 212% increase in the number of African American patients served and a 200% increase in the number of Hispanic patients served. Ibn Sina staff is multi-lingual.
• 57% of our patients are low-income, uninsured, minority females.
2. Ibn Sina Foundation Community Medical Center Clear Lake/Southeast Houston
The Clear Lake Clinic provides primary care services, to over 9,000 per year, in a small 1200 sq ft facility, with very limited space for clinical care.
Achievements
• Medical and/or dental care for nearly 34,500 uninsured Houstonians since 2004 – averaging between 7,000 and 9,000 patients per year.
• Medical and/or dental care for 9,000 in 2008 (72% increase since 2006).
• Over $50,000 in free healthcare to Hurricane Katrina and Ike affected families 2005-2008.
• One of the only healthcare centers in Southeast Houston dedicated to uninsured families to offer comprehensive medical care that includes specialty medicine.
Existing Services
Services Currently Provided:
• Primary Care
• Gynecology (only those two services due to limited space)
• Dentistry for adults and children (only one dental chair due to limited space)
• Dental X-ray Services
• The Clinic is open from 3 pm to 9 pm Monday through Friday and Saturday 9 am to 1 pm
• The Clinic has provided healthcare for more than 32,000 out patient visits since its inception in 2004.
• The number of patients projected for 2009: 10,000
Ibn Sina Clear Lake SE Houston Clinic - Patient Demographics
• African American 10%; Asian 28%; Hispanic 44%; Caucasian 18%.
• Gender 2007: 44% male; 56% female.
• Age 2007: < 5 year 6%; 5-18 years 11%; 19-40 years 45%; 41-65 years 35%; 65+ 3%.
Special Patient Populations Served
• Most recently, free or reduced fee medical care for Hurricane IKE Families ( IKE)
• Today the overwhelming number of patients are coming from, not only SE Houston, but from Pearland, Pasadena, Webster, Texas City, Hitchcock, South Houston, La Marque, Galveston, and Nasa Road 1 and Kemah, Texas, because there are no other like clinics in their areas.
• Ibn Sina Foundation’s small Clear Lake Clinic offers these patients, many of whom are uninsured, an alternative to: (1) long waits in the local emergency room; (2) no care at all which ultimately leads to expensive care in local emergency rooms/hospitals paid for by the tax payer and via higher insurance premiums for those who are insured.
For more information please contact
Dr. Aijaz Ali Khowaja, CEO
Ibn Sina Foundation and Community Medical Centers
11226 S. Wilcrest Drive
Houston, Texas 77099
281-977-7462
ceo@ibnsinafoundation.org
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